Spain’s Economy Ministry has said the prices of some fresh foods, such as tomatoes and peppers, continued to record double-digit increases in October, after similar rises in the previous month.
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The government said the price of tomatoes had risen 15.2% in October and was 49.75% higher than a year earlier, while the price of peppers rose 14.36% in October, a rise of 33.67% year-on-year. The price of potatoes rose 7.22% in October, and 24.51% over the year, reported El Pais.
Some farmers and consumer groups have attributed the rising prices to certain parties in the distribution chain increasing their margins, while the government has said the price hikes could be due to the effects of the recent heat wave, the newspaper said.
Following the hefty price increases in September, the government launched a competition investigation, but said that of the 30 products under investigation, the prices of 14 had not continued to rise so dramatically in October.
